It's impossible to deny that Lil Nas X managed to catch lightning in bottle with "Old Town Road," a song that found him channeling Arthur Morgan energy and riding off into the sunset. Before long, he found himself joined by a fellow wayward traveler in Billy Ray Cyrus, who lent his considerable country experience to making "Old Town Road" the crossover anthem it was always destined to be. What followed was a song that managed to captivate audiences on a universal level, becoming one of the biggest tracks in recorded history.
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A surprising turn to be sure, given Lil Nas X's status as a relative newcomer. And yet "Old Town Road" continues to rack up numbers, to the point where it has officially gone platinum thirteen times, long surpassing diamond status in the process. At this rate, it's entirely possible that the single goes on to pass John Legend's "All Of Me" and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito as the highest certified track in RIAA history; as of now, the songs stand in an impressive three-way tie.
Who'd have thought that a dose of country spirit and some hip-hop percussion would make such a potent dose of moonshine? Congratulation to the unlikely pairing for their continued accumulation of plaques -- thirteen down, and who knows how many more await? By Nas' own admission, he might have to keep the song going for as long as possible.